And my point is 5% threshhold of popular vote, and as I live in Cali which would obviously go for Clinton, I could help that Stein attempt to obviously not win but get 5%. I mean maybe you''re just ignorant or stupid or don't know what mathematics is. Maybe you'd like to volunteer to be spotted on a street as some kind of drooling no-nothing.

Wouldn't matter. The Green Party got 5% once in an Illinois race when we had a terrible governor's ballot and... nothing. They still failed to get any votes and lost ballot access following the next election when they were back to getting 1%.

Whatever problems the Green Party has, ballot access isn't realistically one of them or anything holding them back.

So voting third party is ultimately moronic, but not entirely moronic.

In any given individual election, voting third party in a first past the post system is strictly harmful to your interests, and thus moronic.

When considering multiple iterated elections, voting third party is essentially a threat that if the party they are harming doesn't shift their platform somewhat, that this voter is willing to burn the house to the ground. Since the party wants to win ,they might consider some minor appeasement.

Ultimately, you can bypass the solution in scenario 2 by supporting a better voting system, so anyone voting third party or advocating for third party votes is moronic because there is a better solution to achieve their desire.

In any given individual election, voting third party in a first past the post system is strictly harmful to your interests, and thus moronic.

Assuming that one of the major parties' platforms align well with your interests or moral values, of course. If neither of them do then there's no real harm in voting 3rd party. It's not like you're getting your views represented anyway.

Voting with the intent to give some minor party ballot access is like voting to allow house cats to swim in the Olympics. Adorable in concept but a mess in practice -- and the cat sure isn't going to win any medals.

That sounds like a step up honestly. At least it'd be better than watching a half hour long mostly made up story about that time the athlete had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to practice in the snow and they stubbed their toe.

Assuming that one of the major parties' platforms align well with your interests or moral values, of course. If neither of them do then there's no real harm in voting 3rd party. It's not like you're getting your views represented anyway.

You're still hurting yourself in an individual election, due to opportunity cost. Let's say you really hate both Republicans and Democrats, and that they're both awful compared to the Green Party. However, you ever so slightly prefer Democrats to Republicans (they aren't much better, but they're not identical). By voting Green instead of Democrat, you are increasing the vote margin Republicans have over Democrats by 1, because your vote could have been cast for Democrats. Although you really hate both Democrats and Republicans, you hate Republicans the most, yet by voting third party you are helping them win.

This is why parties don't deliberately run spoilers, because you split the votes.

Last week, I saw a guy with an eyepatch and a gold monocle and pointed him out to Flea as one of the most awesome things I've seen, ever. If I had an eyepatch and a gold monocle, I'd always dress up as Mr. Peanut but with a hook hand and a parrot.

Assuming that one of the major parties' platforms align well with your interests or moral values, of course. If neither of them do then there's no real harm in voting 3rd party. It's not like you're getting your views represented anyway.

You're still hurting yourself in an individual election, due to opportunity cost. Let's say you really hate both Republicans and Democrats, and that they're both awful compared to the Green Party. However, you ever so slightly prefer Democrats to Republicans (they aren't much better, but they're not identical). By voting Green instead of Democrat, you are increasing the vote margin Republicans have over Democrats by 1, because your vote could have been cast for Democrats. Although you really hate both Democrats and Republicans, you hate Republicans the most, yet by voting third party you are helping them win.

This is why parties don't deliberately run spoilers, because you split the votes.

******* Christ, do you know what the "Electoral College" is? What an absolute laff you are here, of individual vote decisions in individual states...

Like, also should put on a big red nose and two-foot shoes and a rainbow afro. With this clownish post.

"Opportunity cost". Mix some more metaphors, you simpleton. How embarrassing.

Wouldn't matter. The Green Party got 5% once in an Illinois race when we had a terrible governor's ballot and... nothing. They still failed to get any votes and lost ballot access following the next election when they were back to getting 1%.

Whatever problems the Green Party has, ballot access isn't realistically one of them or anything holding them back.

5% is matching federal election funds (nationally, not Illinois with your blah blah), not ballot access. You ignorant child, apparently. :sigh: Jophiel you are how many decades old and still don't understand intricacies of federal elections including third-parties of % of popular vote and what that would mean?

Why do you even post on election/political threads, as ignorant as you apparently are..."ballot access" 5% is not what Gary Johnson or Jill Stein were attempting since they already gained enough ballots in enough states to be elected....and instead they sought federal election matching funds, of 5% pop vote. Not your Illinois irrelevance..

So I guess hi someone who's only ever voting for your liberal or conservative masters who told you to vote for them, so bang, automatic pull on the lever, never do anything else. Not even to research what a third party is or means, vis a vis elections and monies and such. What a laughable two-party clown. Who attempts to feign to know things different. Kind of pathetic.

And "In any given individual election, voting third party in a first past the post system is strictly harmful to your interests, and thus moronic."

Another moron who doesn't seem to understand the 5% matching funds. VALUE. OF/PER VOTE. Look into that. I mean...my last gasp is economy as a value thing. With trying to inform these idiots who decry third-party state votes.

Jesus Christ. Is this nation simply made of one of the two-parties, as they vote for each (cool if agree with) but also seem to have no ******* idea otherwise.

Just an utter laughing joke at this point. Of knowledge of Electoral College, or knowledge of third-party popular vote threshhold and target, etc. I mean, these simple people in our United States who don't even know things. Such as states, EC votes, popular vote. Probable also not % of polls in order to let 3rd parties to debate, nor knowledge of the historical change there. These utter laughable ignorants. Just utterly laughable. Common *****.

In any given individual election, voting third party in a first past the post system is strictly harmful to your interests, and thus moronic.

Look at this fool and his pipe. It isn't just that, it's also 5% pop vote, and etc. For anyone wanting to help a third party the only moronic thing would to be instead to vote one of the majors. That would be the utter waste of a vote, in a settled state such as California or Texas.

Look at this ******* simpleton, username of "Allegory".

Facile idiot. Easy stupid. Research? Know things? Too difficult. What a ******* ******* moron. Thinks he/it knows what game theory is but can't even understand why voting for a third party candidate in a settled state would be a boon to their 5% pop vote possibility.

Look at this idiot.Just a harrumph and a sigh and an eye roll. Wannabe poster posting actual facts. Not gonna happen apparently. Christ on a biscuit.

Sometimes a moron is so stupid that a person is duty-bound to go against. Even if drunk once; but then remembers a second time and YEAH wtf, so again duty-bound. As a beautiful moral agent such as myself who loves all people and religious people and animals except I like to eat the flesh of pigs and cows and such, so yeah, love them too but they taste good.